MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa -- Iowa school districts are reporting bus driver shortages as the academic year gets underway. Transportation officials said more earning potential, and a broader appreciation of the job, could help address the lingering issue.

In a new national survey from a trio of industry groups, 51% of coordinators described the driver shortage as "severe" or "desperate."

Rex Kozak, transportation director for the Marshalltown Community School District, said he is short nine drivers to start the year, forcing route alterations. He noted while it is often viewed as a job for retirees, it is still hard to recruit most people given the limited hours.

"You know, somebody said, 'Well, we pay $21.25 an hour. Well, that's good money.' Well, yeah, but you've only got three hours of it," Kozak acknowledged.

Kozak pointed out the business community could help by giving more flexibility to people who want to work two jobs. Others argued school districts or private companies should guarantee more hours and benefits.

National associations contended the problem has persisted for years, but is worse now with some drivers quitting over COVID health concerns, or not coming back after furloughs.

Industry groups added the pandemic caused delays for people to obtain their commercial driver's license (CDL), and there is anecdotal evidence of some bus drivers not wanting to comply with mask requirements.

Woody Harden, transportation director for Washington Community Schools, feels it still mainly comes down to compensation.

"I think school districts need to start looking at ways to combine positions to give possible applicants more hours," Harden urged.

Meanwhile, roughly a quarter of respondents cited public perception as a recruitment barrier.

Kozak feels in a more mobile society, it's harder for local communities to establish trust with route drivers, to make them feel more appreciated on the job.

"Drivers really do care about these kids that they're taking to school," Kozak remarked.

Kozak stressed new entry-level federal training requirements for CDL drivers begin in February, which could complicate matters. He stated it is another reason better incentives could compel more people to apply.

President Joe Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law will disburse up to $239 million to help Georgia improve the resilience of transportation infrastructure. Environmental groups are urging state leaders to focus on rural communities, beyond Atlanta.

Severe weather events in recent years, such as flooding in the southeastern part of the state and Hurricane Zeta, are evidence enough that infrastructure funding should include climate preparedness, said Marsha Gosier, a Georgia organizer for the EDF Action Fund, part of the Environmental Defense Fund. She said she's most concerned about rural and coastal areas.

"Our submerging lowlands throughout Georgia, the coastal flooding that could occur in particular areas like Hudson Hill and Savannah, Georgia," she said, "money should definitely be placed for that in preparation, making sure that those communities are prepared."

Before the federal dollars were released, Republicans bristled over restrictions. They wanted more flexibility for using the funding, instead of the Biden administration's focus on improving existing infrastructure over creating new.

The Atlanta Regional Commission is set to host the Connect ATL summit on Aug. 23 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. The topic will be making the city's transportation network smarter, better connected and electric.

Gosier said she'd like to see the kind of focus happening in Atlanta in more rural areas, and is calling on state leaders to support local towns and counties to be just as innovative. But, she quipped, many rural Georgians also need the basics - such as clean running water - as well as electric-vehicle charging stations.

"When we think about lead pipes needing to be replaced in communities, it's not just impacting Flint, Michigan," she said. "This is something that is an issue all throughout the state of Georgia, and especially in rural areas."

The new PROTECT Formula program funding - short for Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation - is available to states over five years. The Atlanta Regional Commission plans to use its $45 million to pay for electric buses and charging stations, upgrades to transit infrastructure in Cobb and Clayton counties, and road improvements.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are an economical and environmentally friendly way to get from Point A to Point B, but the lack of charging stations often limits drivers to short trips.

It could soon change, as the West Electric Highway program aims to install fast-charging stations every 50 miles along rural highways in Utah and other Western states. The project is funded through the bipartisan infrastructure law approved by Congress last year.

Tammie Bostick, executive director of the Utah Clean Cities Coalition, the lead agency on the project, said the ChargeWest network will take the worry out of driving an EV across the state.

"When we look at Charge West, it's an opportunity for us to imagine electrified transportation fully and to know that we can travel, with range confidence, to our destinations and be able to return," Bostick explained.

Other participating states include Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming. Bostick pointed out the programs is the first of its type, and hopes it will be a model for other states to follow.

The West Electric Highway program is backed by a coalition of local and state governments, environmental groups and tourism officials.

Bostick emphasized it will particularly benefit Utah's vacation destinations.

"Secondary highways, the scenic highways, the places that lead us to the places that we travel to, which are our national parks, our monuments, our state parks, our recreation areas," Bostick outlined.

Bostick added a major challenge to building the West Electric Highway system is a lack of electrical infrastructure needed to power fast-charging stations in many of the rural areas.

"So that could be building out their existing electrical system, but also to plan for off-grid system systems that are stand alone, that run on solar, that really don't need a large infrastructure to be available," Bostick explained.

The West Electric Highway program is one of the first fast-charging projects approved from the $2.5 billion allocated for projects under the National Electric Vehicle Charging Network.

Connecticut residents can expect to see a sharp increase in diesel fuel prices starting July 1, and trucking companies say it will be passed on to consumers.

The increase of 9 cents per gallon is based on an annual adjustment set by the Department of Revenue Services. Although the state has suspended the gas tax through December, prices continue to rise because of inflation and the price of crude oil.

Wayne Pesce, president of the Connecticut Food Association, which represents grocery retailers and distribution suppliers in the state, said it will lead to more people having to make difficult choices.

"Some of the things we're seeing," he said, "is consumers are trading off both beef and pork - and even poultry, in some instances - and they're eating a lot more rice and pasta, because they're making decisions based on how much income they have to spend on food."

Diesel, the main fuel source for most commercial trucks, also produces emissions harmful to health, including ground-level ozone and particulate matter. As of Wednesday, the average price of diesel in Connecticut was $6.17, 40-cents above the national average.

On top of the July increase, the state also will implement a highway use tax on large commercial trucks starting in January. Michael Fox, executive director of the Gasoline and Automotive Service Dealers of America, which represents hundreds of independently owned gas stations in the state, said suspending the current diesel tax of slightly more than 40 cents per gallon could help Connecticut residents afford basic needs.

"They can also suspend the increase scheduled for July 1," he said. "With over $900 million in budget surplus money, the state can afford to do this. That would be immediate relief for every consumer in the state of Connecticut."

Earlier this month, Gov. Ned Lamont and other state officials announced a diesel fuel tax exemption for farmers and agricultural producers. Fox said they're also calling for suspending the highway use tax, which is based on vehicle weight and ranges from 2.5 cents to 17.5 cents per mile.